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On April 1, 2026, NASA launched a team of astronauts on a historic journey to orbit the moon, marking the second occasion the United States has undertaken such a mission. Newly released footage reveals that the Artemis II mission is whimsically “protected” by none other than the spirit of Japan’s beloved magical girl, Sailor Moon.
The official NASA YouTube channel is streaming live coverage of the Artemis II expedition, showcasing both the Orion spacecraft crew and the dedicated team at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida, as they track the mission’s progress.
As viewers tuned in, several eagle-eyed fans noticed a charming detail: a plush doll of a cat named Artemis sitting on a desk operated by a NASA employee. This clever nod to the Sailor Moon series, where Artemis plays an important guardian role, adds a playful touch, aligning perfectly with the name and spirit of NASA’s Artemis II mission.
Several hours into the broadcast, close observers noticed a small Artemis cat plush doll perched on a desk manned by a NASA employee. In addition to sharing the same name as NASA’s historic mission, Artemis also has a role in the Sailor Moon anime and manga that makes him a fitting “guardian” for the Artemis II mission.
Sailor Moon Appears in New NASA Artemis II Mission Control Team Reveal
In Sailor Moon, Artemis is the guardian cat from Planet Mau who accompanies Sailor Venus. Along with his counterpart Luna, both felines assist their charges in the protection of Earth and the Moon Kingdom. His presence in NASA’s chambers is indicative of Sailor Moon’s international popularity. During the 1990s, the series boosted anime’s notoriety in North America alongside other iconic works such as Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon, Digimon and Neon Genesis Evangelion, to name just a few.
Anime fans on social media also picked up on another Sailor Moon-themed detail. As cited by @Chubstersx on X (formerly Twitter), one NASA staff member is wearing a colorful lanyard adorned with images of Usagi Tsukino.
Various news outlets and X users have concluded that the lanyard belongs to Stanley G. Love, the leader of CAPCOM (capsule communicator) operations at NASA. Love has openly expressed his love of anime in the past. According to Love’s official NASA profile, his “recreational interests” include “reading and writing science fiction, new music, cult films and anime.”
Created by Naoko Takeuchi, the Sailor Moon manga launched in Kodansha’s Nakayoshi magazine on Dec. 28, 1991. One year later, Toei Animation adapted the hit shojo into a long-running TV anime that consisted of 200 episodes and several animated film installments. Since the series’ conclusion in 1997, the narrative has been adapted to several other media. In addition to a 2000s-era live-action TV drama, the world of Sailor Moon has also been adapted into over 40 popular stage shows.
Over 30 years after its creation, Sailor Moon is hailed as a cultural touchstone and as highly influential to the modern incarnation of the magical girl genre. In 2014, Toei Animation revived the anime portion of the franchise with Sailor Moon Crystal — a 39-episode series that deviates less from Takeuchi’s original narrative than the ’90s series.
The reboot concluded with a film duology split into four parts. Parts one and two of the first entry, Sailor Moon Eternal, were released in 2021. Sailor Moon Cosmos: Part 1 & Part 2 were both released in 2023.
Sailor Moon (1992-1997) is available on several prominent streaming platforms, including Hulu, Tubi and Pluto TV. Sailor Moon Crystal is available on Netflix and Prime Video. The Sailor Moon manga is available in English from Kodansha USA.
- Created by
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Naoko Takeuchi
- Latest TV Show
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Sailor Moon Crystal
- First Episode Air Date
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March 7, 1992